The Alpha Course

Our church have just started to run Alpha Courses. For those who are not familiar with the Alpha Course it is a 10 week course where people are invited come along one night a week (usually for about 2 hours) and explore the Christian faith. The course covers subjects such as Who is Jesus, Why did He come, Why did He die, How can we have Faith, Why and How do I pray, Why and how should I read the Bible plus other important areas.

It is aimed primarily at people who are unsure about Jesus or don't have any faith at all, but is also beneficial for people who have been Christians for a long time as it goes right back to the beginning and is a gentle reminder of how our faith started. 'Who is Jesus' covers the biblical evidence for Him along with historical evidence and as one person put it..." it gives ammunition for sharing the truth of Jesus and the gospel". We live in an age where people want evidence or proof and this course gives such information.

Where most of the evenings last for around 2 hours, the course offers a full day of teaching on the Holy Spirit and this Saturday was that day for us.

Fifteen of us went to a lovely place in Conway, Wales. Our church is full of people from different nations some of who have never seen a castle and so Conway Castle was a very exciting experience for them. We were only able to drive round the outside of the castle but the drive was full of chuckles and excited explanations!!

We were blessed with getting to know who the Holy Spirit is and what He does.

For me personally, prior to this course starting, I have been getting to know the Holy Spirit in a more intimate way. I realised that He has known me all my life, but my focus has always been on Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and God as my Father and only recently have I realised that He, the Holy Spirit, is most definitely the third person of the Trinity and He is just as important as God and Jesus. This is something I have known in my head for a long time and only now is it travelling to my heart. It's amazing to me how long something can be in my head and I think it is so real, but only when it reaches my heart do I fully realise the depth of the reality of it. I have read and can understand that I can have the Holy Spirit but not necessarily be filled with the Spirit. And that's the difference. I need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

I am getting to know the Holy Spirit in a very deep and meaningful way and it's absolutely wonderful. I am very humbled by this process. It is humbling to know that He has always been there and has waited so patiently for me to say hello - with my heart. I am thankful for his perseverance. I am thankful for the times He has heard me say "we must be lead by the Spirit" when He has known that I haven't fully realised what I was saying and yet He was gracious enough to let me say it.

I am grateful that He has known the right time to teach me more of Himself and I am now experiencing a very precious time in the blossoming of our relationship.

The Holy Spirit day was a wonderful day for all of us and the timing of this day for me was perfect.